Can we keep our lives simple and honest?

Tags

Evil, Heart, Jesus, Perjury, Truth, Zechariah 8

God’s goal: Jesus summed up what God wants us to do. It was nothing new. God is all about simplicity. God goal for us is to love Him and to love everyone else we know. That’s it. To do that, we need to be able to focus. That requires we live our lives simply.

These are the things you must do: Speak truth to one another; make true and sound decisions within your city gates. Do not plot evil in your hearts against your neighbor, and do not love perjury, for I hate all this”—this is the Lord’s declaration. | Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (Zec 8:16-17). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

What this is about: The terms of the covenant made it clear that people determine their own destiny, while God responds accordingly. These are the things you must do reveals that the function of the sermon was more than simply rebuilding the walls.

In order for the returnees to enjoy the incredible blessings that God offered, they would need to obey the covenant’s standard of social justice. In Eph 4:25 Paul quotes Zch 8:16 as an exhortation to the followers of Jesus.

 Therefore, putting away lying, speak the truth, each one to his neighbor, because we are members of one another.